At His Throat, a Promise (30 page)

Harte slid the silky panties up his body, tucking his cock in a little awkwardly. “Just have to be sure not to get too hard, or it"ll come up and stick out the top.”

If Ellis had to be next to Harte wearing
that
all evening, there was no way he"d be able to avoid becoming aroused.

“This is the garter belt,” Harte continued, holding up a stringy thing. He hooked it around his waist so the straps dangled on his thighs. Ellis wasn"t sure what its purpose was.

“How do you know all this?” Ellis asked. Harte had only ever mentioned wearing underwear.

“I had a sister,” he said simply.

Ellis was surprised. Harte had never spoken about his family before slavery. Nor, for that matter, had Ellis. It just wasn"t really done. Once the heads of a family decided to put their child into servitude, they almost never saw each other again. The same went for families whose children didn"t become slaves, but instead went right into the working class. Family just wasn"t an important social construct, not like slavery was.

“Next are the stockings. You have to be careful and make sure your nails are trimmed, or you"ll ruin them. But I"m pretty sure that Master would have gotten us extras, though these
are
silk.” Harte sat on the edge of the bed, and Ellis watched, entranced, as he rolled up the stockings and slid them on, a few inches at a time. “Try to keep the line at the back relatively straight, though you can make it perfect after they"re on.” He put on the other stocking, and Ellis had to admit they looked amazing.

“And then these clip on here,” Harte instructed, demonstrating how the garter attached to the stockings. He turned around. “Can 256

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

you get the back ones?”

Ellis eagerly leaned forward and took up the clip. He fiddled with it a moment to make sure he understood it before clipping it onto the stocking. He couldn"t resist running his fingers up the back of Harte"s thigh to his pert ass, slipping a finger beneath the hem of the panties.

“The other one,” Harte prompted, a little breathless.

When Ellis was finished, Harte picked up the biggest piece. It was just a large, white rectangle of cloth.

“This is a corset, or a girdle, I think. It goes around”—Harte swung it around his body so the opening was at the front—“and clips up.”

Deft fingers secured the corset, and then Harte wriggled it around so the clips were in the back. He pulled it up so it covered his chest. “See? Sexy as fucking hell, isn"t it?”

“The shoes,” Ellis reminded him, handing them over. He wanted the full picture.

Harte smiled and stepped into them. They gave him about three inches of height, and to his credit, he didn"t teeter at all. He spun in a slow circle. Ellis couldn"t take his eyes away.

“Now you,” Harte said, reaching for Ellis"s black rectangle thing. “Oh, your stuff is a little different!” Ellis hadn"t noticed, not that he was looking now. He definitely wasn"t going to be able to try anything on, not if he didn"t want to ruin the material with pre-come.

“Look, you don"t need a garter. Your stockings stay up by themselves, and they have this.” Harte pointed to a thick band of lace across the top of the stocking. “Also, your panties are lace, and I think they"ll cover more of your butt. And your corset"s a little longer, and it laces up instead of clips.” 257

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

Ellis forced himself to note the differences. The corset did look like it would cover a little more skin. Harte"s stopped above his navel, but Ellis"s seemed like it would cover to his lower abdomen, leaving only an inch or two of skin between it and the panties, which were, indeed, a little less risqué than Harte"s.

Harte slipped out of the shoes, sighing a little as his feet settled into a more natural position. How was Ellis expected to wear those things? Did William
want
to maim him?

He sat back against the headboard, dejected. It was obvious why the master would want Harte in that sort of outfit. Harte was a little androgynous, even feminine. Ellis wasn"t. He was tall and gangly with hairy legs, like Harte had said.

“Come here,” he said to Harte, patting the space beside him.

Holding Harte always made him feel better, and kissing him would make his apprehension go away.

Harte did him one better and straddled his lap, locking his hands on the headboard behind Ellis and kissing him on the cheek.

“Do you ever think about kissing me?” Harte asked in a quiet voice, nuzzling into Ellis"s neck.

“All the time.”

“Do you wish you could kiss me right now?”

“Yes.”

“Me, too. Do you… do you think Master"s rules are a little…

strict?”

That was definitely a first. Ellis couldn"t recall a single time Harte had ever criticised William.

“I think he"s just trying to protect what"s his,” Ellis said diplomatically. If he were a master and Harte his slave, he was sure he"d have similar rules.

“But he doesn"t have to. I mean, kissing you doesn"t mean I 258

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

don"t want him, you know? And how are hand jobs and fingering allowed but kissing isn"t?”

“I suppose kissing can be more intimate for some people.

Like… anyone can get you off and you"ll enjoy it, but if you like someone"s kiss, that usually means you like
them.
” Harte ground a little against Ellis"s lap, and the silk was slippery against his slave sheath. “Do you think kissing is more intimate than this?” he asked, lips parting.

Ellis traced a finger over Harte"s pouty lower lip. “I"m not sure.

Kissing you is awfully intimate.”

Harte was moving in earnest now, and he yanked up Ellis"s sheath and tossed it in the general vicinity of his own. When Ellis"s cock came into contact with the silk underwear, he nearly came on the spot.

“This is pretty intimate,” Harte whispered, reaching between them and pressing Ellis"s erection against his own, the silk making everything smooth and soft and perfect.

“But with kissing… there"s no talking,” he reminded Harte in hopes that the slave would take the hint. Ellis wasn"t capable of discussion during sex the way Harte seemed to be.

“Oh, you don"t want me to talk, is that it?” Harte said, lips against Ellis"s ear, hips pushing forward and making Ellis crazy.

“That"s not what Alastair said. He said you
loved
it when he would talk to you, and I"ll just bet you did. You
slut
. You"re going to wear that costume tonight, get all dolled up and let me put makeup on your pretty face, and when Master drives us to the party, I"m going to rub your cock in the backseat until you"re obscenely hard.

Then I"m going to tease you and torture you all night until you"re
gagging
for it.”

Ellis panted and tried to thrust up into Harte"s hand, but his 259

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

body was pinned and Harte was in complete control.

“And when we get home, I"m going to beg Master to let us sleep together in his bed. And you"re going to lick my hole, aren"t you?” Harte moaned and tossed his head back. Ellis snaked his hand into the back of Harte"s panties and lightly stroked his entrance. “Yes… And then you"re going to make me suck your cock, aren"t you? All while Master watches. And with his eyes on you, devouring you, you"ll come… on my face. Marking me.

Making me yours for that moment. And then Master will make you clean it up, and you will, you"ll make me good as new and when you kiss him, you"ll be sharing
me
.”

“Close, Harte,” Ellis groaned, one hand encouraging Harte to move faster and the other rubbing against his hole, feeling it twitch and desperately wanting to slide within.

“And then Master will order you to fuck me, and you"ll have no choice. You"ll fuck me so hard, until it hurts, making me really feel it. At the same time, Master will fuck you, his big, thick cock filling you up until you think you"re going to die or split right in half. And I"ll beg you to come inside me, and you won"t be able to stop—”

Harte cried out as he came, clutching Ellis"s shoulders and throwing his head back, arching like a bow. His jerking thrusts brought Ellis off as well, and he tried to cup his come so it didn"t hit Harte"s outfit. He wiped his hand off on the bed and groaned.

“And then,” Harte whispered, out of breath. “Master will come inside you and you"ll feel so complete you"ll never want to leave.” Ellis tried not to focus on those words, but it was impossible because they were true, even now.

The master could make him wear whatever he liked, but it wouldn"t change who Ellis really was, or what he really wanted.

260

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

“I"d honestly thought you"d ruin the stockings, not the underwear.”

Ellis opened his eyes, surprised to see the room was almost dark. Until, that was, William threw on the light and blinded him.

He struggled into an upright position and saw what William was talking about. Harte was sprawled on his back with his legs and arms thrown wide. He was still wearing his costume for the Cohens" Costume Gala, and there was a very obvious stain on the front of his panties.

Nudging Harte awake, he watched with amusement as Harte opened his eyes and glared at Ellis before looking around. When he saw the master, he immediately sat up, though he wobbled a bit.

261

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

“Is it time to go, Master?” he asked groggily, scrubbing at his face.

“Thankfully, no. We have a few hours to get ready, during which I would like you to shower—separately—and have some dinner. Then I"ll help you both into your costumes, though, Harte, I assume you"ve got yours pretty much figured out.”

“Yes, Master. It wasn"t hard.” Harte giggled at his own double entendre, but sobered quickly. “I can wash these.”

“Actually, you can"t, they"re silk and you"ve ruined them.” Harte looked like his world was crashing down around him, and Ellis almost groaned. How could it be that someone so sweet and innocent had seen so much?

“But not to worry,” William continued with a wry smile. “I bought doubles of everything I thought might be… susceptible to your actions. That includes panties and stockings, if you"ve destroyed those as well.”

Harte lifted one leg into the air and inspected it. Besides the seam being twisted halfway around his thigh, it was fine. The other was unharmed, also.

“And your things, Ellis?”

“I didn"t try them on,” he said quietly. He couldn"t meet the master"s eyes; he knew William would know that he wasn"t pleased about the costume.

“Harte, go ahead and get in the shower, all right? Just put a loose tunic on for while we eat.”

Harte slid off the bed and up to William. He wrapped his arms around William"s waist and settled his head against his chest.

“Thank you for the gift,” he whispered, tipping his face up for a kiss. William obliged, kissing him for a long moment.

“Do you want to help me undress? It"s awfully complicated… ” 262

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

“I thought you just said it wasn"t hard.”

“It"s hard now,” Harte said deviously.

William barked out a laugh, which made both slaves smile. It was a sound rarely heard and therefore much desired.

“Go on, brat, and try not to ruin anything else. These things aren"t cheap, you know, nor easy to find.”

“I"m sorry for making a mess of the panties, Master,” he said, sounding genuinely remorseful.

“That"s enough. You did no more than I expected from you.

And it was worth it to see you spread out like that.” He leaned in to nip Harte"s lower lip before sending him into the hall and closing the door after him.

William sat on the bed beside Ellis, making him aware of his nudity. He pulled the sheet around his waist, though he knew he had no reason to be embarrassed. After seeing the costume, however, he couldn"t help but feel… displayed.

“Go ahead,” William said, watching Ellis"s face.

“Um, Sir?”

“Didn"t we just have a talk earlier in the week about you coming to talk with me about whatever"s on your mind?”

“Yes, Sir. I remember.”

“So? Go ahead.”

“I didn"t… I don"t… Nothing"s on my mind, Sir.”

“Oh, no? What did you think of your costume, then?” Ellis"s face darkened and he stared down at the sheet.

“Right. Now… Go. Ahead.”

“Sir, it"s just that… I"m a
boy!
A man, I mean. I can"t
wear
that.”

Considering Ellis, William said, “Do you think that if you wear something designed for a woman, that makes you a woman? If you 263

AT HIS THROAT, A PROMISE

put a collar on a tiger, does that make him a kitten?”

“No, Sir. Of course not.”

“Then I fail to see the problem.”

“Why would you want me to wear that? Do you… do you wish I was a girl or something?”

William laughed again, and Ellis almost smiled just to have elicited that sound, but he held his ground.

“If I wanted a girl, I could have a girl. I"ve never wanted a girl, Ellis. I just happen to think that you would look amazing in that outfit.”

“Why, though? I mean, it"s less revealing than a swimsuit, but you wouldn"t have me wear one of those, would you?”

“Well, I don"t think there"s anything besides full nudity that"s more revealing than your swimsuit,” he teased, but at Ellis"s glower, went on. “But there"s nothing taboo about a swimsuit. And didn"t you think that Harte looked… gorgeous?”

“Well, of course, but that"s
Harte
.”

“And you"re
you
, and I happen to think you"re just as lovely.”

“But Harte suits that sort of stuff. He"s little and thin and he even has a bit of a waist, and his hair… ” Ellis realised he was babbling a little and stopped, biting his lip.

“But you"re beautiful, too. You"re handsome, yes. You"re undeniably sexy. But you can be pretty—if you want.” He ran his fingers through Ellis"s hair, and Ellis couldn"t help but lean into the touch. He wanted to be those things for William.